


Yellow Is The Coward's Color

by RaineLionheart



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Apologies, Drabble, Era 3, Gen, One-Shot, Reconciliation, Slightly Out Of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23413462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaineLionheart/pseuds/RaineLionheart
Summary: Blue Zircon regenerates after the Trial, only to discover that she's missed a lot.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 82





	Yellow Is The Coward's Color

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely satisfied with this; I just wanted to get it out there. Keep writing, they say, so here.

“-olutely sure you want  _ her _ ?”

“Positive. She tried her best to defend me...”

“And she wasn’t exactly wrong, Yellow.”

Blue Zircon opened her eyes and nearly dissipated her form immediately. Rose Quartz stood just feet ahead of her, flanked by  _ Blue and Yellow Diamond _ .

_ Oh schist. _

Two things tried to happen, but failed. While her arms effortlessly and automatically went to form a salute, she stumbled back as her legs failed her. She managed not to shriek in terror, but couldn’t suppress a whimper as she scooted herself back frantically. She felt her back hit something solid, and glanced up, behind her. It was a massive golden throne.

This must be Yellow Diamond’s throne room.

She looked back to Rose Quartz, who approached her with his hands held up and to his sides, trying to be as non threatening as possible. She forced herself to glance at Yellow Diamond, who merely gazed back neutrally.

“Please!” said Rose Quartz, taking slow steps towards her, “You’re safe! Nobody is going to hurt you!”

Blue Zircon glanced at Yellow Diamond again.

“Oh stars,” the Diamond muttered. “Shall I leave?” she asked snidely.

“ _ Yellow _ ,” Blue Diamond admonished.

Rose Quartz sighed but took another few steps forward. Blue Zircon scrambled to her feet, using the throne behind her to stay upright. Her legs felt like they were glitching. But then Rose Quartz was there, tucking himself under her arm to support her weight.

“Easy there. I’m sorry we scared you so badly!” Rose Quartz said. “It’s been a long time since the trial. I guess I forgot that you’d probably be scared when you reformed!”

Shakily, Blue Zircon uttered, “Y-yes.” Her eyes flicked back to the Diamonds before she looked down at the odd Gem she was resting against. “It didn’t g-go so well.”

Across the throne room, Blue Diamond sighed. Blue Zircon braced herself for a pathokinetic surge, but none came. Instead, her Diamond merely said, “No, it did not. And you are not to blame, my dear Zircon.”

Blue Zircon hazarded a glance back at her Diamond, who now looked wistful.

“I-I’m no-not?”

Rose Quartz chuckled. “Nope. It turns out, you were almost right!”

“I - uh- uh-  _ whaaaaaaaaaa _ ?” Blue Zircon asked intelligibly.

Rose Quartz (or rather, Steven, as even the Diamonds referred to him) explained the actual subterfuge behind Pink Diamond’s “shattering” and brought her up to date on recent history.

“... and so, to get things running smoothly on Earth, Pearl and White said I need to have a legal expert, and so I thought about you!”

If she were to be honest, Blue Zircon had been lost somewhere around “wedding” and “buttship”, and almost didn’t process what he had just said.

“Wait,  _ what _ ? You want me to be your legal counsel!?” she cried. “B-b-b-but I’m j-just a Zircon! Why would you…”

She sputtered, at a loss.

“Well, you saw through my mom’s ruse pretty quickly. And you asked some really tough questions. Hmmm.” He glanced at the Diamonds behind him. “Do those seem like good qualities to have?”

“Absolutely,” Blue Diamond replied with a smile. “And as you are no longer beholden to my court, you are free to do as you wish.”

_ Do I know a better descriptor than overwhelmed? Is hyperwhelmed an expression? Ultrawhelmed? _

“Think about it before you answer!” Steven implored. “I know this is all a lot to take in, and you must have a lot on your mind.”

She wanted to say something, but couldn’t seem to find her voice.

“If I may have a minute with Zircon, please,” Yellow Diamond, breaking the uneasy silence. She looked intently to Blue Diamond and Steven. The hybrid looked ready to object, but Blue Diamond touched a finger to his head and said softly, “It will be fine, Steven. Zircon will not be harmed.”

Steven turned back to Blue Zircon, trying to communicate his worry. But she gave her head a little shake.

Blue Diamond scooped Steven up and left the throne room.

Now, it was just her and Yellow Diamond. She felt her anxiety starting to flare up again, but forced herself to stand still, and to look the Diamond in the eye.

Yellow Diamond responded by uncrossing her arms, and turning her head to the side.

“I owe you an apology for my incredibly foolish, cowardly behavior.”

She turned her gaze back to Blue Zircon, frowning.

“But not like this.”

She began to rub her hands together, gathering tendrils of energy before absorbing it all. Her form shimmered and began to shrink.

Blue Zircon watched, stunned, as Yellow Diamond, now almost matching her height, stepped forward and reached out a hand. Blue Zircon was even more shocked to see tears in her eyes. Slowly, she took the proffered hand and let Yellow Diamond pull her into an embrace.

She had never heard of Yellow Diamond crying. No less shrinking her form. Or touching a mere Zircon. And yet, the very Gem who had poofed her in a fit of rage was now sobbing into her shoulder, begging for forgiveness, bemoaning her failure as a Diamond, for forgetting that all Gems were important.

Blue Zircon could only wonder if she was dreaming.


End file.
